34 Songs That Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

3 weeks ago

February is Black History Month. Let’s all celebrate the outstanding way that the late civil rights leader changed not just the United States, but also the world! In honor of this incredible day where we remember the icon, we’ve decided to collect some of our top songs that name drop MLK. Recording artists of all genres of music have paid respects to the legend on a number of their songs. Check out the tracks and the exact lyrics that shout out Dr. King here.

Lyric: “Martin Louie the King Jr / Starting all that stunting is gonna ruin you.”

10. “By The Time I Get To Arizona” - Public EnemyPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Talking MLK, gonna find a way.”

11. “Fight The Power” - Public EnemyPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be / Lemme hear you say / Fight the power.”

12. “I Have A Dream” - will.i.am and CommonPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “It's a Cold War - I'm a colder soldier / Hold the same fight that made Martin Luther the King.”

13. “One Vision” - QueenPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “I had a dream when I was young / A dream of sweet illusion / A glimpse of hope and unity / And visions of one sweet union.”

14. “Don’t Hold Your Applause” - WalePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “And I be feeling Malcolm, Martin, and Pac would defend me.”

15. “Proud To Be Black” - Run DMCPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Like Martin Luther King, I will do my thing / I'll say it in a rap cause I do not sing.”

16. “Like A King” - Ben HarperPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Like a king, like a king, like a king / How I wish you could help us Dr. King.”

17. “Do Your Time” - LudacrisPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Give my eyes to Stevie Wonder just to see what he's seen / But then I'd take 'em right back to see Martin Luther's dream / I'd dream that I could tell Martin Luther we made it / But half of my black brothers are still incarcerated.”

18. “Doin’ It Again” - The RootsPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “I'm like Martin Luther King, you like Rodney / The difference is I give it everything inside me.”

19. “Happy Birthday” - Stevie WonderPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “The dream as clear as he that they should make it become an illusion / And we all know everything / That he stood for time will bring / For in peace our hearts will sing / Thanks to Martin Luther King.”

20. “Sideline Story” - J. ColePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “But homie if you change, may you change for the better / Back when Martin King had a thing for Coretta / Wonder if she seen all the dreams he was dreamin' / Did she have a clue of all the schemes he was schemin.’”

21. “Ghetto Classics” - Ying Yang TwinsPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “And y'all forgot about the earlier times / When Martin Luther King had a dream / That one day we'd walk together.”

22. “Letter To The King” - Nas and The GamePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “I've been meanin' to do me some letter readin' / To the King, he forever breathin', your message is never leavin.’”

23. “My President” - Nas and JeezyPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Stuntin' on Martin Luther, feeling just like a King / Guess this is what he meant when he said that "he had a dream.”

24. "2000 And Beyond" - Big K.R.I.T.Photo: Getty Images

Lyric: "Martin Luther King had a dream; we was right there/I wonder what he saw when he up and had nightmares?/Quite scared, all the work he had done/Couldn't stop what we've become in 2000 and beyond."

25. "Word To The Mother (Land)" - Big Daddy KanePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: "Martin Luther was a tutor; many were pupils/Those who fell victim were those without scruples."

26. “Glory” - Common and John LegendPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Selma's now for every man, woman and child / Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd.”

27. "Doin' It Again" - The Roots feat. John LegendPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: "Doin' it again just like Poitier and Cosby/I'm like Martin Luther King; you like Rodney/The difference is I give it everything inside me."

Lyric: "Ya'mean, I'm taking one for the team/Like Martin Luther King, taking one for a dream."

30. "A Boy Was Conceived" - Ice CubePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Only three short years after the 1965 Watts Riots/ And the death of Malcolm X/ And of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr./, A boy was conceived, who's lyrics would change the world.”

31. "They Killed Him" - Bob DylanPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Another man from Atlanta, Georgia, By name of Martin Luther King/ He shook the land like the rolling thunder/ And made the bells of freedom ring today/ With a dream of beauty that they could not burn away.”

32. "One" - India.AriePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Gandhi was a Hindu/ Martin Luther King, a Christian/ God is a religion, they knew love was the vision/ And it all comes down to one.”

33. "Demons" - A$AP RockyPhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Give me the beat, and let me lean, tap the vein, let it stream Feel the pain, Young Martin Luther King, with a dream.”

34. "Dreams" - The GamePhoto: Getty Images

Lyric: “Cause Martin Luther King had a (dream)/ Aaliyah had a (dream), Left Eye had a (dream)/ So I reached out to Kanye and (I brought you all my dreams).”